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Boot Care
Waterloo Boots |
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 Boot Care will help footwear last and provide greater water resistance if treated with proper boot care products.
Caring for boots involves cleaning, conditioning, and waterproofing. Match treatment type with boot materials. Read any hangtags or booklets that come with boots, as well as instructions on waterproofing and conditioning products.
Boot Cleaning
Clean your boots by removing laces and liners, scraping off caked-on mud, and brushing off dirt. Scrub with a soft brush to remove ground-in dirt. Rinse them well with cold water to remove fine particles. Air-dry wet boots at a moderate temperature. Do not dry them close to a heat source, such as a campfire or wood stove.
Wash boot linings with gentle soap to rinse away salts, then allow to dry. Leather linings can be treated with conditioner to enhance breathability. Synthetic linings can be safely washed, rinsed, and left to dry.
Conditioning Boots
Leather uppers are just like skin, if they're not conditioned, they dry out, stiffen, and crack. Conditioners restore lubricants to leather Boots and keep it supple and, depending upon the conditioner, waterproof.
Wear new, untreated boots a few times to remove the factory-applied buffing wax. Before applying a conditioner, ensure your boots are dry. While conditioning, pay special attention to the crease in the upper where your toes cause the sole to flex. This crease can crack if left untreated.
Waterproofing Treatments for Boots – Water-Based and Non-Water Based
Both silicon and wax treatments can be water-based. This means they work best when applied to damp boots. The water in the pores of the leather acts as a conduit for waterproofing agents that absorb into the leather as boots dry. Water-based treatments are popular for full-grain leather boots, nubuck, and suede leathers, as well as fabric and boots with Gore-Tex lining.
Waxing Boots
Waxing boots is the most frequently used treatment, although they can darken leather, especially rough-out hides. This may detract from the appearance of your boot. Boot wax works best when applied thinly and evenly with your fingers. Some treatments can seal leather so effectively that it compromizes breathability. If you're hiking in really soggy conditions, this might be a satisfactory trade-off.
Silicon
Best applied when your boots are new and unworn. Silicon will not darken or discolour leather or fabric boots. Silicon allows better breathability for leather footwear than wax treatments, but may not condition as effectively. Wax-based boot treatments that contain silicon offer excellent water repellency and durability, but will discolour rough-out, suede-style, and synthetic fabrics.
Fluorochemical
Fluorochemical treatments are non-aerosol pump sprays designed to work on all types of footwear, especially boots made of suede or synthetic fabric. Fluorochemicals added to silicon treatments offer excellent durability and will not discolour boot materials. These are not the same as volatile, ozone-depleting CFC's (chlorofluorocarbon).
Boot Oils
Some oil-based boot treatments expand leather, which compromises the stiffness and support of a boot. Leave these kinds of treatments for breaking in baseball gloves!
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